This invention relates generally to racks used for the storage and transportation of projectiles. More specifically, this invention relates to a projectile storage holder having one or more assemblies for extracting and/or locking of the projectiles.
It is essential to optimize the conveyance of projectiles in modern warfare. (As used herein, "projectiles" shall include shells, rockets, bombs, torpedoes, and, more generally, other forms of ammunition.)
Projectile storage holders must provide for a high degree of space efficiency in order to maintain a high load capacity. A projectile storage holder should allow one to easily secure and/or place one or more projectiles within the holder. At the same time, quick loading/unloading of the projectile holder must be balanced against the need to insure that projectiles will not, accidentally or as a result of enemy fire, become dislodged from their holders.
Prior projectile storage holders include holders such as stowage rack arrays having a plurality of parallel cylindrical tubes. Such configurations have been used to store projectiles for a Self-propelled Howitzer in combination with a nose cone casting as a restraining device. In particular, the casting fits about the projectile's ogive and is secured by clamping to a stowage rack frame. Because the casting must generally match the nose of the projectile, this system is limited to accommodating only two different lengths of 155 millimeter projectiles unless one uses spacer segments.
The system using nose cone castings is disadvantageous in many respects. In order to ready the projectile for firing, the soldier or operator must unclamp the nose cone casting, stow it, and remove the projectile from the stowage rack by tactile means before performing the fusing activities. It often is difficult to remove the projectile because of the effect of steep vehicle pitch and cant angles, especially for the shorter of the two lengths of projectiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,528 of Perisastry et al., entitled "PROJECTILE LOCK ASSEMBLY", issued on Aug. 17, 1982, assigned to the assignee of the present application, and hereby incorporated by reference, shows an arrangement for radial locking of projectiles, such as 155 millimeter projectiles, into stowage racks through a cam directed pressure pad which applies tangential force onto the projectile body. This system is advantageous in that it can accommodate more than two projectile lengths. However, this system has been restricted to front loading of the projectile storage tubes. This system also allows one to advantageously fuse a projectile while it is disposed within the rack, but removal of a projectile from this rack is not as readily accomplished as desirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,724 of Johnson, issued Sept. 3, 1985, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, shows a "SPIRAL BAND LOCKING MECHANISM" which applies spring tension to hold projectiles in place. Although this design allows for different length projectiles, it is limited to front loading of the projectiles into a battlefield magazine which cooperates with the spiral band locking mechanism. Further, removal of a projectile either requires that the lock mechanism be separated from the battlefield magazine or requires one to pull a projectile completely out through the front of the mechanism.